India hands Mumbai attack evidence to Pakistan

AFP

NEW DELHI, 19 June 2010: India on Friday handed over to Pakistan a new dossier of evidence related to the November 2008 Mumbai attacks, ahead of talks next week between top foreign ministry officials.

India’s foreign ministry separately announced a meeting next Thursday between Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao and her Pakistani counterpart Salman Bashir as the two nations look to build on a recent thaw in relations.

Tension between the countries stems most recently from the Mumbai attacks, which India blames on Pakistan-based militants who it believes Islamabad has done too little to bring to justice.

 

Another dossier of evidence related to the attacks known as "26/11" in India, which saw 166 people killed, was handed over on Friday, a Pakistan embassy source in New Delhi told AFP, asking not to be named.

"They have given us some more documentation this afternoon and we have sent it to Pakistan," the source said. "This is additional information about 26/11 and it is huge in volume."

India has already handed over several dossiers of evidence linking the attacks to Pakistani militants, but Islamabad says more is needed to convict the alleged masterminds.

During her trip to Pakistan next week, Rao will also meet Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Qureshi has invited his Indian counterpart S.M. Krishna to Islamabad on July 15 as part of a process of reconciliation between the South Asian neighbours, who have fought three wars in the last 60 years.

India broke off a comprehensive peace dialogue with Pakistan after the Mumbai attacks and the talks in Islamabad will explore how to get this slow-moving process back on track.

In Islamabad, foreign ministry spokesman Abdul Basit confirmed the new dossier but said it was a "response to the dossier we had given to India".